Finishing the Work

On a cool and sunny Monday morning along the Big Coal River in Orgas, West Virginia, our group on the Whitesville mission trip met homeowners Gladys Ferrell and her son Ken. Gladys and Ken live in one of the poorest communities of Southern West Virginia. They own a home that was built in the 1950s and shows its age. There were many areas in need of repair. Our group’s primary job was to replace the water heater, replace the windows, and frame windows that had been replaced the previous year. As with most projects, especially those done in the home, we kept finding other areas that needed attention. We looked at the outdoor shutters and saw that they were in bad shape. The paint was peeling and some of the wood was warped. The group, all nine of us, grew enthusiastic about working on the shutters. We believed it would be the perfect finish to the new windows. Anticipating the work on the shutters, we picked out a paint color at Flint’s, the local hardware store and one of the few remaining retail outlets in town. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t share our enthusiasm for working on the shutters. The rains came, flooding nearby communities and washing out our opportunity to paint the shutters. We left with the indoor work complete but with the outdoor work far from finished. There was a sense of disappointment--a sense that we left with work that was incomplete, insufficient, and imperfect.

Life is often like the example above. We take on a project at home, a proposal at work, or activities to fill our days only to have life intervene, subverting our plans and leaving our work incomplete, insufficient and imperfect. This pattern continues throughout our lives so that even when we die, we leave with many things that remain unfinished. I can’t help but wonder how much more Jesus might have accomplished if he had had more time on earth. Surely there were more miracles to perform. Surely there were more sermons to give. Surely there were more people to heal. Surely there were more hearts to convert. But, by uttering the words, “Do this in memory of me,” he left the work to us. Whenever we celebrate the liturgy, we help to complete the work of Jesus. Whenever we speak as Jesus spoke, with words of healing and compassion, we help to complete the work of Jesus. Whenever we work as Jesus worked, for peace and for justice, we help to complete the work of Jesus. Whenever we love as Jesus loved, unconditionally, we help to complete the work of Jesus. As long as we continue to do these things, the work of Jesus continues until the time when all work has been fulfilled.